I hope my message finds you and your family well during these difficult times.

I would like to share Chapter 1 from my new book/project:

SPARTA SENIORS
Synchronicity of Science, Perception of Limitations, & Movement:
A New Method to Build and Support Intrinsic Capacity in Older Adults.

My main objective is to help fitness professionals increase their awareness of how older adults’ perception of limitation may influence their “intrinsic capacity,” especially in cases of advanced aging.

Intrinsic capacity is a new concept introduced by the World Health Organization. It is defined as the composite of all physical and mental capacities that an older adult can draw upon during his/her life.

The perceived limitation of physical capability may have a cascading negative effect on the individual’s physical and mental (including psychosocial) capacities and functionality.

In order to optimize functional ability, the goal of healthy aging, I believe the fitness industry will need to update its approach to goal setting and prescribing fitness regimens for this special population.

The SPARTA method for goal setting is specific to older adults and adjusts to the physical and cognitive declines associated with advanced ageing. It includes safe exercises to lessen the person’s fears and help them develop self-confidence.

SPARTA stands for Specificity, Perception, Accessibility, Reward, Timetable, and Awareness. In the book, I describe the program in detail, outline the exercises, and compare the SPARTA method to other similar programs.

The goal of my project is to create a dialogue between the fitness and medical communities.

There is a need for a more holistic approach to senior health and fitness which can only be achieved though a concerted effort between the fitness industry and health care providers.

I will post some of the Chapter here but it's best to use the link so you can see the pics and references.

The phrase “Our perception of our own limitations” can be meaningful to all of us. That is, the phenomenon of perception centers in the mind, independent of how it shows up through our actions or inactions.

The problem of perceived limitation for older adults is the influence on intrinsic capacity.

Intrinsic capacity is a new concept introduced by the World Health Organization. It is defined as the composite of all physical and mental capacities that an older adult can draw upon during his/her life.

The perceived limitation of physical capability may have a cascading negative effect on the individual’s physical and mental (including psychosocial) capacities and functionality.

How does the problem of perceived limitation arise?

Professional athletes and seniors, surprisingly, have something in common—doing a movement or activity in a cautious or “safe” way due to their perception of limitation—when, in reality, they are not physically limited.

The fear may have developed after a past accident or injury, and this response can naturally lead a person to be cautious. But what happens when we become overly cautious?

For example, an individual in their fifties has an ACL knee injury from a fall on a flight of stairs. This event and specific activity (walking down a flight of stairs) may set up a relationship between that movement and pain. Despite completing a physical rehabilitation regimen and being medically cleared to participate in all activities, the individual may then avoid taking the stairs. The continued avoidance may lead to atrophy of the muscles that were developed in physical therapy and a loss of self-confidence while performing the activity.

Caution related to fear of falling is the main factor that makes people afraid to continue past activities (not taking stairs, not lifting objects off the floor, avoiding outdoor events). Discouragement leads to inactivity. As a result, people experience physical consequences such as muscle atrophy; and mental health consequences, including depression, anxiety, and decreased self-esteem.4 Their daily activities may revolve around this perception, and even their social life can be affected.

The good news is that the phenomenon of perceived limitation can be addressed!

As fitness professionals, we have many interactions with clients; thus, we have the opportunity to be a part of two important processes important to older adults, as defined by World Health Organization:

1. Healthy aging, that is, developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables well-being in older age.
2. Functional ability (i.e., the health-related attributes that enable people to be active and do what they have reason to value), which is determined by intrinsic capacity (i.e., the composite of all the physical and mental capacities of an individual), the environment (i.e., all the factors in the extrinsic world that form the context of an individual’s life), and the interactions between the two.

There are three reasons that the health and fitness professional’s unique skill sets can be effective with one or more the domains of intrinsic capacity:

1. Through coaching, we can lessen the client’s fears through listening and encouragement.
2. We can prescribe exercises that promote healthy aging.
3. We can identify significant declines in intrinsic capacity and refer clients to appropriate medical professionals.

However, in order to optimize functional ability, the goal of healthy aging, I believe the fitness industry will need to update our approach for goal setting and for prescribing a fitness regimen for this special population.

Please feel free to share with others and connect me with your contacts who may have similar interests.

Also, any posting on social media on this subject would be most helpful for the project. I am on Twitter @fitnessfoundry, IG @fitnessfoundryUSA, Facebook @fitnessfoundry and YouTube @fitnessfoundry - Email: [email protected]